Butt hook and link assembly



Dec. 6, 1949 w. B. KIRBY ET AL BUTT HOOK AND LINK ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1948 Dec. 6, 1949 w. IR ET AL 2,490,218

BUTT HOOK AND LINK ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 29, 1948 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 6 1 949 TE!) PATENT OFFICE ilJTiffibtikKND LINK ASSEMBLY ,iihyjl ruandbre and Erland y. Hi II -EV ggqlgvgl wash.,; assignors to Electric s teellfioimdry, Pdrtland, reg., a. corporation of This invention T m-es x0. butthi'bk aim lifik siseihblies, ahd iiiidl e parficularly to such ;as

iiidiistiy;an'd'therli ke... y One of the object's6f..oi1riinventionfisdwmm- Vide 'a butt hb'ok and ilihkasserhblyihayirig :parts 'bbiistriited zl'a'n'd elifiran'ge'd. to prevent; the. amidental or unintentioiiei'escziiie of'the .fe'niuleon -a -chbker 'dabl ebr the'likefro'm the hook during Oiirih'v ehti'dn hasfonfanother object thetpl'ovision 6f a.butth0(1k: a hdlink assemblyin which the bti'tt hobk sftructuresiisTsuch .ith'at i't etends. L130 ftain 'a 'caibl'e 'ferrul'efin. a socket of the'butt lhbok arid th'elink serves to. prevent separation bf "the ferrule"from thezbutt. hookiwhenever. there i'seiriy tension applied 'thrtiugh :.the.ass .emb1y,., "In t-hepreferfed fermdf 'ourfinivention, .the rezmbval (if-'the 'eable feirule ffi 'dm the. butt hobk ta'ciih to the butt ho'ok,j in athe. sge m {1 a rpreseieteu positionuifiering from that which it 'n'o'frr'i'alIy assumes when in use.

. s-opher "objects andfadvahfia-geshf the iiixienuon will be "abriafentffrohi lthe f 'ollowing .idescription arid the acedmpmyilig drawings in which similar chafa'ctfs Mof refeiencexindic'ate Similar parts thrbugfibiit'th'esevral views...

. Figs. ."1 an'dz are respectively.frdnt and side 'eievatio'nal iviewsi'bf "biitt. h'cioke and link .asfsnibl'y which "embodie's a preferred form of Leur i'nv'entidn, :and which views. each "indicate the. as-

.sem'bled relationship ofa Terr'uled cable there- Fie..3.is ajside. ye enalsviewp e bu t hQQ and li k; es ze hly; show Fi s 4. we .2 bu with the parts, including the ferr ed eable in diffe rent pperating' positions thanthdiic'td in Figs. l and};

j nhebutt. hook has integrallyf feigned. therein a fer-mile Ireceivin'g socket !.5., having g restrieted open-gr d J5 which is adjacent and epens in go an pergi r g .JJ defined .hyjthe sides andQDWed end qf the Jbutt. hook. Opposite the. restricted open e d the..-fe1;r.u1e. receiving: socketis al-sogrest icied Ia .shouldei; :18 eintegrellysf tmed in. the side, or-

;Q11.. 'V. .eonneetin np riion LI 8, w eheQnne isih two side portions at said end of the butt hpgk.

.=.,A.1Qn :.the frames :iHIFi S, Land @5 .2 0; between the. side ner ie sd a d .3.. 1 e s. int iandextends the $11.11. len th oifii rul e ivfine mket a dedjeinsa ljecess 2,2.a t the endggf he. ttehook end. .:.i ter' Q t x .5 16 shoulder. J?- he..re ri. t e.n of theen lie the fe rul v socket.:ewxgesfle heishoul r .831s efi ci dbyuonqp sed fla es?! and 21.. onjt einner-j iece .Of. the s'id -po1tions.. .2.,and 1.3 re p c ive whi :flan ...project. inw d y. e we n t e fer ule s cket and ihe'loopfll e d p e e abl ee ein depth ...(F e) r ti n a ay ro the; slot 10.. ,A s as illust ated i dot and da hl neset 3 in He. 2,1.t e ,ferru e is. b ht nt anim- .m.Qved from .ihe. se ket t r u h. the. s d "of. tha .soeket opp it t eisl i 20 and e er he. .CQIlmeetin rti n. 9--..-. n.e 1.11er motion suehqe .;that depicted in d0t and dash lines at 23min Ei ,.efie. ts.ihe pas a e Q t ei rru e ben ath ihe opposedyflanges 2! and 2! and over the conee n' pert ensle, M .In ;the is s d, .embe i o ou 'inyent on th wdi mete :0 he fe u ejreeei ng so ket-Tie $1lb .i y;eque in. the. wi t p 'ithi adjacent mnening l1. .Sueh..-.dime siQ s. are, oWev nd .i r ined. nme e ien. tqi el 'im ns on o a er- .-r l a e-. 3. dap ed to g eu d, t the findeefs c ble. .24 the l ke w th. w c .011 ;.e mb x: sxu edz. .fr et is t widthe the ee n 11.2 m; the 7 d ame er. .the. ermleie- .ee y e Qekei. I 5. a e ,s inewhe ar e when th .eli met n iw fe rul eeihe th if r ule ma be serted int an remev i m. the socket y s vemen s. th e h u i e' pen n ;H,

. m ceeem sis-f e .d eihq 1111s s cke 15 1s prefer' l such .ihetwhen. nse ed the ierrule .isee n ely included. w t i he socket, de'- i ie n. eq id and d ttedl e i i s. 1 and 2. .Ueo nsert en rem val Q eul ,.;.the .:.eeble .24. p sses .t rqu mh 5 0 .28 end Whil mnne e ther to e leexte d from-th .e. r e. thre eh; fin nd. Lreee o .thebut .heek. ...S. b entiel al nm w h h lon itudinal axis of the butt hook.

From the foregoing description, it may be readily understood that with the butt hook structure thus far described, the ferrule ani cable may be readily and easily attached to 'odetached from the butt hook. As a safety factor, it is a purpose of our invention to provide an associated link structure which, in addition to being utilized for making a connection to the butt hook at the end opposite the ferrule receiving socket, also prevents the accidental or undesired disconnection of the ferruled cable 24 from the butt hook during use. To this end, we have provided a link 25 of unique construction which is inter-linked or inter-connected with the butt hook through opening 1?.

In the disclosed embodiment of our invention, the link 25 comprises an integral closed loop defining an opening 26 which is preferably elongated with reference to a longitudinal axis; the closed loop including side portions 21 and 28 of the link integrally connected at their opposite ends by curved end portions or lights 29 and 30. The width of the opening 26 is such that the end portion 14 of the butt hook is free to turn and move about therein. Our preference for an elongated opening 26 in the link loop is brought about by a desire to provide a normal operating position for the link, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which it assumes with respect to the butt hook when tension is applied through the link 25 and cable 24.

In order to provide the aforementioned safety feature, which prevents the accidental release of the ferrule 23 from the socket IS, the sectional sizes and contours of portions of the link loop parts are so related to the size of the opening [1 in the butt hook that they prevent the passage of i the ferrule from or to the socket, and particularly from the hook through that opening. In the present instance, the sectional dimensions and contours of the end portions 29 and 30 of the link and the side portion 21 thereof effect such restriction of the size of the open portion of the opening l1 adjacent the socket and opposed flanges 2i and 21 that the ferrule 23 cannot be passed therethrough. Thus, when the link is disposed in its normal position with the end portion 30 thereof adjacent the flanges 2| and 2|, or when oppositely disposed from that normal position, as would be the case when tension is applied through the link and butt hook from either end of the link, the ferrule cannot pass through the opening I! and escape from the butt hook. Even when the side 21 of the link faces the end of the socket, the ferrule cannot be passed through the opening H. The side 28 of the link, however, is restricted in section, as depicted in Figs. 5 and 6, and, in the present instance, is shaped with a substantially fiat or concavely curved outer surface 32 so that the dimensions and contours of that side portion permit the passage of the ferrule through the opening 11 when the surface 32 is disposed to face toward the socket. With the link thus constructed and proportioned with respect to the structure of the butt hook, it is quite apparent that the possibility of accidental removal of a ferruled cable from the butt hook is practically negligible and that such removal requires a conscious effort to position the link properly in relation to the butt hook and to effect the removal of the ferruled cable from the butt hook opening adjacent the one side portion of the link. On the other hand, the parts, when consciously moved, may be readily placed in and moved through their proper positions for quickly 4 and easily effecting the connection and disconmotion of a ferruled cable.

It may be understood from the foregoing description that the socket I5 is open through the side of the butt hook opposite the cable slot 20 and that the ferrule 23 can be admitted to the hook for entry into the socket only by passing same endwise through the butt hook opening l1 and then by an angular motion into the socket from the side of the socket opposite the cable slot. While the ferrule may be displaced from the socket when there is freedom for angular movement of the cable 24 and ferrule 23 relative to the butt hook, it cannot be wholly disconnected from the hook except by passage of same through the loop opening 11; it being readily understood that there is practically no freedom for such necessary angular movement during use.

While we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A butt hook and link assembly for use on a hauling cable or the like having a ferrule secured to one end and comprising, in combination, an integrally formed butt hook including side portions and being configured to define a longitudinally elongated closed loop with a ferrule socket at one end thereof, said butt hook also having therein a longitudinal slot adjoining and extending along one side of the ferrule socket, and the ferrule socket being partially open on the side of the socket opposite the slot and adjacent the loop I for the passage of the ferrule into and from the socket, said slot being of a transverse width less than that of the ferrule and large enough to pass the cable, said side portions of the butt hook having thereon opposed flanges projecting inwardly between the ferrule socket and said loop to restrict the end of the socket facing the loop so as to prevent direct movements of the ferrule between the socket and loop longitudinally of the butt hook, and an elongated closed link extending through the closed loop of the butt hook, the major portion of the link including one elongated side portion and an end portion which adjoins said one side portion, the other side portion of the link being restricted in section in one plane to an extent that it leaves space for the passage of the ferrule through the loop of the butt hook when the restricted side is positioned to face the socket therein.

2. A butt hook and link assembly for use on a hauling cable having a ferrule secured to one end thereof and comprising, in combination, an integrally formed butt hook including a pair of spaced and elongated side portions joined at adjacent ends respectively by a curved portion and a connecting web portion to form an elongated loop, means including said connecting web portion and opposed parts of the elongated side portions defining a ferrule receiving socket at one end of the elongated loop, which socket is adjoined by a longitudinal cable receiving slot and is open on the side opposite the slot and adjoining the loop for the passage of the ferrule into and from the socket, opposed flanges on the side portions extending transversely of the side portions and projecting inwardly thereof at the loop end 5 of the slot to prevent the passage of the ferrule directly from the socket to the adjacent portion of the loop, and a link in the form of a closed loop interlinked with the butt hook in chain-like manner so that it extends through the loop thereof, the size of the loop of the butt hook and the sectional dimensions and shape of said link being so proportioned relative to one another that all but a relatively short portion of the link restricts the loop in the butt hook to an extent which prevents passage of the ferrule through said loop, and said relatively short portion of the link comprising a side thereof having its section reducedby the provision of a flattened surface thereon to leave space for the passage of the fer- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,464,161 Wirkkala Aug. 7, 1923 1,651,081 Bardon Nov. 29, 1927 1,653,092 Draper Dec. 20, 1927 1,656,676 Mills Jan. 17, 1923 1,669,152 Yeaton May 8, 1928 1,720,069 Yeaton July 9, 1929 1,803,401 Nacleau May 5, 1931 

